Virtual CD-Rom
Most of us use Daemon tools to use ISO image files for CD's. And so do I.
But I never knew that Microsoft offers a free version of such a tool as well, called Virtual CD-Rom Control panel. I found out when I received my daily SqlServerCentral.com update. That email featured a link to an article on SqlServerCentral which explains how to install and use it. When you download and run the file, it will be clear what you need to do though. It's unsupported by Microsoft, but it's free. Below is the contents of the readme that comes with Virtual CD-Rom Control panel.
Readme for Virtual CD-ROM Control Panel v2.0.1.1
THIS TOOL IS UNSUPPORT BY MICROSOFT PRODUCT SUPPORT SERVICES
System Requirements
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- Windows XP Home or Windows XP Professional
Installation instructions
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1. Copy VCdRom.sys to your %systemroot%\system32\drivers folder.
2. Execute VCdControlTool.exe
3. Click "Driver control"
4. If the "Install Driver" button is available, click it. Navigate to the %systemroot%\system32\drivers folder, select VCdRom.sys, and click Open.
5. Click "Start"
6. Click OK
7. Click "Add Drive" to add a drive to the drive list. Ensure that the drive added is not a local drive. If it is, continue to click "Add Drive" until an unused drive letter is available.
8. Select an unused drive letter from the drive list and click "Mount".
9. Navigate to the image file, select it, and click "OK". UNC naming conventions should not be used, however mapped network drives should be OK.
You may now use the drive letter as if it were a local CD-ROM device. When you are finished you may unmount, stop, and remove the driver from memory using the driver control.